When I'm baking cookies I can usually find multiple purposes for their use. This week I made two dozen Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, mostly because I had pumpkin and chocolate chips taking up space in my pantry, and also because I wanted to try out a new recipe.

These cookies ended up very moist and delicious.

Purpose 1 - A Thank You
The first ten cookies were packed into a little box and tied with a ribbon to give to my husband's co-worker as a "Thank You" for something he helped us with recently.

Purpose 2 - Treats for Social Gathering
The remaining cookies went on a platter for my mom's group playdate.

Purpose 3 - Get to Know the Neighbors
And the cookies leftover from the playdate went into cute little $1 buckets I picked up a Target some time ago. Maggie and I delivered them to our neighbors just before dinner time with a note saying "Thought you could use dessert with your dinner."

Don't pass up little trinkets like these in the $1 isles just because you don't have an immediate use for them. Buy them and put them aside. Then when you spontaneously decide to take cookies to a neighbor, you have something cute to carry them in.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 2 Dozen

2 Cups Canned Pumpkin

2 Cups White Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon All Spice

1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

2 Teaspoons Milk

2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

4 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Combine first four ingredients. I suggest using a stand mixer as this will get thick, but a hand-mixer will work too.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, all spice and pumpkin spice. In a small bowl dissolve the baking soda with the milk. Add to the dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add vanilla and chocolate chips. If you like walnuts you could add 1 cup of chopped walnuts as well.

Drop by spoonfuls, or by using a mini ice cream scoop, onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cookies will be lightly browned, yet still soft when done. Transfer to a cooking rack to cool.

To freeze, drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes. Then transfer to a freezer ziplock baggie. When you're ready to bake them just add a minute or two to the baking time.

If you're going to pack these up for a friend, line your container with parchment paper first. The oil from the cookies will seep out of the cookies into paper and cardboard making your packing display look messy.